In today’s digitally networked business world, you are your social media presence. And the first thing that followers and potential customers see when they click on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn profile is the photo (or photos) at the top of your page. There’s a profile picture, of course, but on most networks, there’s some sort of banner or cover photo as well.
We’ve discussed using photos in social media in the past, including ideas for a better Facebook cover image and sites where you can find great photos that you can legally use for digital marketing. In this post, we’ll take a look at making your photos the correct size for four popular social media networks, along with some web-based tools you can use to create, resize, and edit them.
Networks and Sizes
First, here are the pixel dimensions of the key profile images for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Sure, you can use images that aren’t the proper size — all of these social networks will do some scaling and cropping for you — but you risk displaying a photo that’s cropped incorrectly or looks blurry from being enlarged.
Facebook:
Profile picture: 180 x 180 pixels
Cover image: 828 x 315 pixels
Any image you post and share: 1200 x 630 pixels
Twitter:
Profile picture: 400 x 400 pixels
Header image: 1500 x 500 pixels
Any image you tweet and share: 1024 x 512 pixels
Instagram:
Profile picture: 110 x 110 pixels
Any image you post and share: 1080 x 1080 pixels
LinkedIn:
Profile picture: 400 x 400 pixels
Background image: 1400 x 425 pixels
Company cover image: 1536 x 768 pixels
Any image you post and share: 700 x 400 pixels
Photo Tools
Don’t have Photoshop or the skills to make it work for you? Fear not — check out one of these four web-based photo editors to make your social media images shine.
- Picmonkey
From basic photo editing and touch-ups to collage templates and more involved design tools, Picmonkey is perfect for creating images for your social media profiles. A seven day trial is free, as is a basic account with a few features. For more functionality, it’ll cost you, but it’s just $3.99 per month if you pay for a year upfront.
- Pixlr
Pixlr has a lot going for it: it’s inexpensive, it’s easy to use, and there’s a mobile version. Effects, stickers, type — you can do it all on Pixlr, on your desktop or smartphone, and you won’t pay much at all. An essentials account with many features is free, but a premium account will run you less than $15 per year.
- Canva
Canva bills itself as “amazingly simple graphic design.” It’s highly visual and drag and drop, making it a good choice for anyone who’s intimidated by more robust programs like Photoshop. Plus, it’s got templates for most social network profile images. A standard but limited account is free; upgrade to Canva for Work, and you’ll pay $12.95 per month.
- Fotor
Whether you need to edit a photo, make a collage, or design something a little more involved, Fotor has the tools to help you do it. Plus, Fotor offers HDR (or High Dynamic Range) tech to add drama to any photo. A basic account is free, or a Pro account runs as low as $39.99 per year.
Make Your Profile Look Its Best!
The difference between a good social media image and a great one is often the amount of time you put into it. Some people have a real knack for getting the perfect shot with the perfect exposure right off their smartphone, and some others can make Photoshop do their bidding, most of us could use a little help with editing and polishing our photos. Keep these photo sizes handy, and check out one of the photo editing web tools to make your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles look their best.